HAMILTON SUPREME COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14927, 27 February 1912, Page 5

HAMILTON SUPREME COURT.

CHARGE OF THEFT DISMISSED. fBT TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] Hamilton", Monday. The criminal sessions of tho Hamilton Supremo Court opened this morning before His Honor Judge Edwards, when true bills wore returned in all the cases. James Belcher was charged with stealing a cow, the property of Jerome Corneille, from To Mata on or about June 4 last. Mr. Gillies, Crown Prosecutor, in his address to the jury, said that there was no actual evidence of theft, but it rested with accused to prove satisfactorily how the cow came into his possession. Evidence was given to prove that accused sold the cow with some others at a sale at Ngaruawahia, and also that it was the. property of Corneille. Mr. Malone, appearing on behalf of accused, while admitting that the beast belonged to Corneille, contended that Belcher had made a genuine mistake, and his actions were not those of a guilty man, The judge in summing up spoke strongly in favour of the prisoner, and the jury after a short retirement returned a verdict of not guilty. Albert Edward Prince, who had pleaded guilty in the lower Court to perjury, came up for sentence, and was fined £10 or three months' imprisonment, being given three months in which to pay jhe fine.